it was an hour of triumph. The British had
fired first; the Americans had "put the enemy
in the wrong;" the two sides were committed;
conciliation was no longer possible. As the sun
rose there came from him one of the few exult-
ant outbursts of his life: "What a glorious
morning is this!" They waited in the second
precinct of Woburn, now Burlington, while the
minute-men, through the forenoon, hurried by
with their arms. At noon a man broke in
upon them, at the house of the minister, with
a shriek, and for a moment they thought them-
selves lost. They were then piloted along a
cart-way to a corner of Billerica, where they
were glad to dine off cold salt pork and pota-
toes served in a wooden tray. A day or two
later they set out for Philadelphia.

A spirited, manly letter is extant, written by
John Hancock, at Worcester, to the Committee
of Safety. We have already had occasion to
notice his weakness; his conduct hereafter will
show still greater shortcomings. One is glad
to view him at his best; for at his best he was
a generous and able man.

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